Pa. transportation chief outlines bridge scenarios

HARRISBURG - A do-nothing approach to state transportation funding needs will result in some 5,000 additional bridges being posted for weight limits during the next two years, Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch told senators Wednesday.

Schoch said he would have to take a stricter approach to limiting vehicle traffic on aging bridges if lawmakers don't approve a new transportation funding package for roads, bridges and mass transit.

Appearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Schoch said Pennsylvania doesn't restrict traffic on bridges as quickly as some states, but that would change if extra funding isn't in sight.

The average highway detour around a bridge that is weight-restricted or closed is eight miles and that can result in a motorist or business spending an additional $10 to $12 for fuel on each trip, Schoch said.

The governor's plan calls for gradually lifting the cap on the state Oil Company Franchise Tax, a levy on wholesalers such as gas stations, over five years. Gov. Tom Corbett wants to reduce the state gasoline tax paid at the pump from 12 cents a gallon to 10 cents a gallon over two years.

The changes would yield $500 million in new transportation revenue the first year and $1.8 billion by the fifth year.

Senate Transportation Committee Chairman John Rafferty, R-Collegeville, is working on a transportation funding plan that will generate more revenue than what the governor proposed.

The department will eventually post information on its website about what projects can be undertaken if either the governor's plan or the Senate plan is adopted, Schoch said.

Schoch said the department could save at least $50 million annually if a pilot project involving "bundling" work on bridge projects is expanded statewide. Luzerne County is part of that pilot which uses standardized designs and prefabricated beams to make bridge work faster and cheaper.

The potential exists for a one-third savings on construction costs and shorter construction time through bundling, Schoch said.

Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, urged a rewriting of the formula for distributing state highway maintenance dollars among counties. She said the current formula is based on outdated population statistics and penalizes fast-growth counties in the Poconos. The department plans to use a portion of any additional revenue to "spike" maintenance outlays for areas that need it, Schoch said.

rswift@timesshamrock.com

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